40 Under 40: Qveen Herby’s Perfect Harmony

By Danielle Guercio 

Social media has always been a part of the spliff over at Qveen Herby HQ. Her hit song “Vitamins” lists the ways that the Qveen gets her shit together, but one of the stars of Qveen Herby’s social page was missing from the lyrics: vitamin weed. 

Once upon a YouTube, a regal musical persona was being born. Way back in the Wild West internet hinterlands of 2012, while performing music with would-be husband Nick Noonan as pop group Karmin, an ‘indie-fied’ cover of hip-hop classic “I’m Getting Paper” would grant the pair access to their dreams. 

After a prolific career together—including more than 320 million views on YouTube, many studio albums and EPs—Amy Heidemann Noonan introduced her musical alter ego to the world: Qveen Herby. The same team was behind the tracks, including her husband Noonan; he just wouldn’t be on stage. With a fresh look, a new sound and a social media stage well timed with the rise of short-form comedy on TikTok and Instagram Reels, Qveen Herby’s path took a very different direction than Karmin’s. 

But let’s step back a little: Who is this fascinating human being and how did the artist now known as Qveen Herby garner a fandom that claims J.Lo, Cardi B and other top artists? 

Born under the name Amy Renee Heidemann, her childhood world was one of quiet, church-going Nebraska towns whose CD shelves were more or less devoid of the kind of music that inspired Heidemann.  

“Nebraska is quiet,” Qveen Herby says. “Growing up without cable TV, I was forced to develop my imagination, putting on theater shows for my family and making pretend stores for my little sister to shop at.” 

After a tranquil childhood, Qveen Herby went on to study at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston where she learned the ground-level ropes of music. Perhaps that’s why the Noonans’ songwriting has endured since the early 2000s: It’s rooted in the strong principles that geniuses of music laid out like a scientific, but somehow still stoney yellow brick road.  

“Going to music school made me a lifelong student,” she says. “Knowing music theory is awesome, but even better is breaking all the rules. Honestly, I love working with untrained musicians the most.” 

It just may be that her real-life School Of Rock experience comes from her time as a wedding singer. “Singing other people’s hits for hours on end and seeing the way that the audience responds is the greatest boot camp you can put yourself through,” Qveen Herby says. 

There’s no better way to craft your artistic persona than to try on every single one out there—but you have to be authentic in your own way. That’s what makes the Qveen Herby character so sharp, intentional and by design—from fashion styling to body language to hair color and cut—a professional with a clear vision. 

During the dark days at the height of the pandemic, if you were a ‘ouid’ person, you were likely to see her signature bangs popping up on your feed to offer a few giggles. “Remember, social media is the reason I connected with an audience in the first place,” she says. “It’s made it possible to find your community and thrive.” 

Posting to IG or TikTok isn’t a photo album for famous people—for QH, it’s layered. “Qveen Herby is definitely a character, but she’s a collection of archetypes that exist in Amy Noonan,” she says. “She’s in many ways my higher self—pun intended. I highly recommend “Sacred Contracts” by Caroline Myss if you want to explore yours.” 

When asked about her offline personality and if she’s the same ‘archetype’ online and offline, Noonan says she’s been working on this a lot lately. “There’s this thing we often do when the camera’s on—almost a performative layer that’s not totally natural. I’m unlearning that default layer because the dream is to be fully authentic at all times. It’s not something that people really notice, but I can feel it and my energy is my superpower.” 

Authenticity is everything, and being really high can put things in motion that you don’t expect—the theme of many a smoker flick. Noonan shares one such tale: “Some time in 2016 I took edibles and went to the Gucci store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Seeing the gorgeous designs and slipping on fur coats opened my mind so much to my limiting beliefs about my own self-worth. I went home and wrote the song “GUCCI” which basically killed Karmin. It was such an identity crisis, but a super healing and pivotal experience.”  

Maybe it was the wrong strain and the wrong time, but it looks like the herb worked its way into the Qveen’s life for the better.  

When asked how she likes to approach Queen Cannabis today—when there are loads of form factors to give precise dosing and no more guessing games with strain names— Noonan says, “I’m an edibles girl for sure.” However, she says she also enjoys pre-rolls for “a convenient and shorter adventure. I’m a spiritual girly so I treat it like a ritual, my creative medicine,” she says, adding that the most she’ll take is 5mg due to a low tolerance.  

With a product for every taste and every imagination, picking your favorite weed flavors is just like picking your favorite songs—intensely personal and cemented in the genes. 

Noonan’s favorites are specific: “I love an OG Sour Diesel with a gassy, earthy, fruity vibe. I’m loving this Zatix flower that one of my listeners put me onto…I’ll take a baby swig of Pamos High Dose Mai Tai and write a whole song.” 

Microdosing and baby pre-rolls seem to be more of the Qveen Herby wavelength, so for her it’s not all about the blunts—she leaves that to her bangs. “I always remind folks that moderation is also fabulous,” she says.  

As for what’s up ahead, Noonan says she’s, “dreaming up the next music project as we speak. It’ll be the most epic one yet.”